Investigatory Powers Act 2016

262 Postal definitions

(1) The definitions in this section have effect for the purposes of this Act.

Communication

(2) “Communication”, in relation to a postal operator or postal service (but not in the definition of “postal service” in this section), includes anything transmitted by a postal service.

Communications data

(3) “Communications data”, in relation to a postal operator or postal service, means—

(a) postal data comprised in, included as part of, attached to or logically associated with a communication (whether by the sender or otherwise) for the purposes of a postal service by means of which it is being or may be transmitted,

(b) information about the use made by any person of a postal service (but excluding any content of a communication (apart from information within paragraph (a)), or

(c) information not within paragraph (a) or (b) that is (or is to be or is capable of being) held or obtained by or on behalf of a person providing a postal service, is about those to whom the service is provided by that person and relates to the service so provided.

Postal data

(4) “Postal data” means data which—

(a) identifies, or purports to identify, any person, apparatus or location to or from which a communication is or may be transmitted,

(b) identifies or selects, or purports to identify or select, apparatus through which, or by means of which, a communication is or may be transmitted,

(c) identifies, or purports to identify, the time at which an event relating to a communication occurs, or

(d) identifies the data or other data as data comprised in, included as part of, attached to or logically associated with a particular communication.

For the purposes of this definition “data”, in relation to a postal item, includes anything written on the outside of the item.

Other definitions

(5) “Postal item” means—

(a) any letter, postcard or other such thing in writing as may be used by the sender for imparting information to the recipient, or

(b) any packet or parcel.

(6) “Postal operator” means a person providing a postal service to persons in the United Kingdom.

(7) “Postal service” means a service that—

(a) consists in the following, or in any one or more of them, namely, the collection, sorting, conveyance, distribution and delivery (whether in the United Kingdom or elsewhere) of postal items, and

(b) has as its main purpose, or one of its main purposes, to make available, or to facilitate, a means of transmission from place to place of postal items containing communications.

(8) “Public postal service” means a postal service that is offered or provided to the public, or a substantial section of the public, in any one or more parts of the United Kingdom.